He argues this is unnecessary because there is little record of the endangered mammals becoming snared in lobster trap lines.

However, federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said last week that his department’s rules have to match standards in the United States, or there’s a risk the U.S. will block fishermen from selling lobster into the American market.

A total of 18 North Atlantic right whales were killed in Canadian and U.S. waters last year – mainly due to vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.